Sisters? We’re like twins! 👯‍♀️⁣

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Twin galaxies lie 300 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices, caught in a cosmic dance captured by @NASAHubble. Nicknamed “The Mice” due to their long tails composed of stars and gas, these twin galaxies likely last collided 160 million years ago, creating waves of gravitational forces that stretched and elongated the galaxies’ tails. The collision caused a cascade of star formation in the wake, seen in bright blue patches across the image.⁣

⁣The collision between these two galaxies previews our own galaxy collision with Andromeda, which scientists predict will happen in about four billion years.⁣

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Image description: An image is split in two, showing  black space dotted by small stars and galaxies. “The Mice” galaxies appear in blue, white, and brown in the center of the photo, connected with a smaller blue trail connecting them and large blue trail heading toward the upper-right part of the image.⁣
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Credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and @EuropeanSpaceAgency⁣
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#Mice #Mouse #Galaxy #Space #NASA #Hubble #ParentTrap

[ INFORMATION DATA: 23 March 2024 ]